Aslam

72 The Book of Destructive evils Vol-III

asleep, wisdom becomes inactive, and the organs take leisure.

Hazrat Fazil-b-Iayaz addressed himself thus: What thing do you

fear? Why do you fear hunger? The Prophet and his companions

used to remain hunger. Why do you neglect it? The sage

Khamash used to say: O my Lord, you keep me without food and

cloth and allow me to sit lose to Thee in darkness without light.

Tell, my Lord, on account of which virrue I have achieved this

luck. The sage Majak-b-Dinar said: O my Lod, I asked

Muhammad-b-Waseq: O Abu Abdullah, he who has got food

proportionate to his wants and does not live depending on others

is happy. He said to me: O Abu Ihya* he is happy who is pleased

with God remaining hungry in the morning and evening. The

sage Ihya-b-Ma'az said: Hunger of the hopeful is a cause of

wakefulness, hunger of the patient is the control of passion and

the hunger of the ascetics is wisdom.

There is in the Torah: Fear God when you eat to your belly full and remember hunger. The sage Abu Solainman Darani said:
I like to eat one morsel less than to be attentive in prayer during the whole night up to morning. He also said: Hunger is one of the treasure s of God. He gives it to one whom He loves. The sage Sahal Tastari used not to take meal consequitively for 25 days at a time. One dirham was sufficient for his meal throughout the year. He used to consider the rank of hunger with honour and made exaggeration. Even he said: The reward which is gained by giving up surplus food in following the practice of the Prophet will not be gained by other actins on the resurrection day. He also said: There is nothing more profitable than hunger. He also said: I don't know of a more harmful thing for a man seeking the next world than eating with heart's content. He also said:
Knowledge lies in hunger and sin and ignorance lie in over eating. He said: No man does better divine service than to act in opposition to his passion after giving up lawful things.

The Prophet said: One third of the belly is for food. He who eats more than that spools his good deeds. Being asked about additional merits he said: He will not get additional merits till hunger becomes dearer to him than over eating and till he prays at night remaining hungry. When he does this, he will be entitled to get additional rewards. He also said: An Abdal (ascetic) is not included in the class of Abdals till he does not love to remain hungry without sleep and to remain silent. He said: Of all the

Yol-III Greed and suxual passion 73